Author Topic: New fork seals needed or just grubby ?  (Read 546 times)

Offline billdn

  • SOHC Expert
  • Posts: 330
  • never ever buy a basket case again!
    • View Profile
New fork seals needed or just grubby ?
« on: September 08, 2021, 06:19:28 PM »
Mate of mine reckons I need new fork seals. I don't think so but what's your collective opinions on the attached. Tubes are rust free with no pitting and handling appears OK.  Is there a sort of rebound test that I could do?
Occasionally hard bumps felt , but the size of the blooming potholes round here I'm not surprised,  when I can't miss them that is!

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 685
    • View Profile
Re: New fork seals needed or just grubby ?
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2021, 06:40:25 PM »
You can have seals fail just on their own...not becuase of pitting in the chrome.

They age harden, or just simply wear out. Then oil starts to leak past them. There isn't a way to test them as such, as any testing of the front suspension would show things fine unless you lost a lot of oil.

But if you do have an oily residue on the forks...get new seals. If you don;t.... then any dust or fine grit blowing on the wind will tend to stick to the oil, forming a nice little abrasive paste that will wear through the chrome and further damage the seals.
CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline ka-ja

  • ken
  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 737
  • yoshi 460
    • View Profile
Re: New fork seals needed or just grubby ?
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2021, 07:50:02 PM »
those in your pictures are the outer dust seals, the real oil seals areinside/below them
nice bike,nothing in the bank

Offline billdn

  • SOHC Expert
  • Posts: 330
  • never ever buy a basket case again!
    • View Profile
Re: New fork seals needed or just grubby ?
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2021, 02:57:03 PM »
Cheers guys, just what I wanted to hear!  BTW  Odd Job I did know they're just the dust covers  ;) but someone may not and I didn't make it clear. 
So renew all , including dust caps, seal and retaining clip as I'm at it or just seals - spoil a ship for happney of tar springs to mind ,especially as it's a bugger of a job anyway.  But seriously OEM or genuine replacement,  DS has both but as above, while I'm at it? 

Offline billdn

  • SOHC Expert
  • Posts: 330
  • never ever buy a basket case again!
    • View Profile
Re: New fork seals needed or just grubby ?
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2021, 02:58:03 PM »
Oops sorry OddJob , meant KaJa ;)

Offline Nurse Julie

  • 1977 CB550/4 Mongrel Brat. 1974 UK 500/4 K1. Honda CD250u.
  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 8230
    • View Profile
Re: New fork seals needed or just grubby ?
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2021, 03:11:39 PM »
Use OEM ones, they are double sprung, they have a spring on the top dust seal and a spring on the underside oil seal.
LINK TO MY EBAY PAGE. As many of you know already, I give 10% discount and do post at cost to forum members if you PM me direct.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/julies9731/m.html?item=165142672569&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2562

LINK TO MY CB400/4 ENGINE STRIP / ASSESSMENT AND REBUILD...NOW COMPLETE
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,14049.msg112691/topicseen.html#new

Offline billdn

  • SOHC Expert
  • Posts: 330
  • never ever buy a basket case again!
    • View Profile
Re: New fork seals needed or just grubby ?
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2021, 10:40:22 AM »
Thanks Nurse Julie, sound advice as ever.

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal